Centrifugal autoclave permitting the recovery of volatile products



G. GRAUss 1,844,008

RMITTING THE REcovEnY oF voLATILE PRoDucTs CENTRFUGAL AUTocLAvE,

- Feb.

Filed Deo. 2?. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. GRAUSS Feb. 9, 1932.

CENTRIFUGAL AuTocLAvE PERMITTING THE RECOVERY oF voLA'rILE PRoDUcTs 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1928 mmm lll/l///l @ng/W, if... UX i a? v/N G. GRAUss 1,844,008

CENTRIFUGAL AUTOCLAVE PERMITTING THE RECOVERY F VOLATILE PRODUCTS Feb.9,11932.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 27, 1928l Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED`STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGES GRAUSS, OIF PARIS, FRANCE CEN TRJIUGALAUTOCLAVE PERMITTIN G THE RECOVERY OF VOLATIL PBODUUIS Application ledDecember 27, 1928, Serial No. 328,757, and in France December 28, 1927.

The present invention relates to centrifugal machmes, and 1ts object1s'to devise a centrifugal autoclave permitting the recovery of volatileproducts, such as alcohol, petrol and 5 the like, and permitting at thesame time the working either in vacuum or under pressure, at all desiredtemperatures, without contact with outer air susceptible to decompose orto alter certain constituents.

In the centrifugal autoclave according to the present invention use ismade of the drying centrifugal machine containing an instantly removablebasket, such as described in U. S. A. Patent No. v1,573,240 of Feb. 16,1926, ofthe applicant and characterized by that a vertical shafttransmits its rotary movement to a basket through the medium of frictionsegments carried along by said shaft and applied by centrifugal forcedirectly against the interior of said basket in order to ensure itsrotation, this basket being removable at rest after release of thebrake.

Amongst the advantages of such a device are quoted:

a. Its very great revolving speed;

b. The direct starting ofthe basket and also its di rect braking, henceincrease of efficiency;

c. The progressive and adjustable carrying along, hence economy .of themotive power;

d. No soiling of the treated product, the driving gear being placed inthe lower part of the machine; no manipulation with the treated product,owing to the removability of the baskets;

ence of the baskets from the driving'shaft;

f. Increase of the efficiency by employment of supplementary,interchangeable baskets.

To transform this drying machine into aV 40 recovering apparatus for theSolid material treated, various improvements have been effected, such asmeans so that the basket,'"on' stopping and after looseningA the brakecan be directly removed for emptying its load, basket which assumes theform of the basket while the machine is running and avoids any Contactbetwen the material treated and the metallic parts as well as permittingof the entire recovery of the solid material treated e. Working safetyowing to the independ-f the provision of a filtering device within thewhich remains in the basket. The upper edge of the filtering device isdetachably clamped between an annulus of angle iron and an internalconical clamping collar, these and other features of the presentimprovements being more readily seen from the following description withreference to the accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure 1 is anelevation of the whole apparatus,

` Figure 2 its plan view,

Figure 3 a sectional view of the cover of the digester, and

Iii'gure 4 a detail of the latter on a larger sca e.

Thebarrel. a constituting the pedestal or socle, the vertical shaft cand its driving gear are constituted in the usual way.

The basket which receives the materials to be dried or impelled consistsof a hub (Fig. 70 3) of appropriate form serving as a gottom, on whichis secured a circular-casing It of suitable 'type according to thetreatment to be carried out and vwhich is surmounted by a hood c'.

. To avoid all contact between the material being treated and themetallic walls of the basket, there is mounted at the interior of thebasket and of the same form, a flexible filtering pocket 1 simply heldat the upper part be- 80 tween the annular flange 2 of an le iron andthe internal conical clamping co ar 3.

To produce by hand the release of the pocket it sutlices to lift fromunder the flange 2.

In practice the cylindrical wall portionof of the pocket is stitfened bywhalebone-api propriately spaced apart.

By the removal of the filtrating pocket (without removal of the basketor after its removal) the substance treated is wholly recuperated,nothing remaining in the basket; this advantage is especially noticeablein case of treating precious substances.

ferent tissues and of different meshes. It is possible to lintercalatein certain cases a metal sheet or cloth between the basketk tration.

The liltrating pocket'l can be made of dif- 95 The centrifugal digesterought to permit the Working in the vacuum or, on the contrary, underpressure (certain products being treatable in one way and other in theother way), at any temperature according to the treatment in View. Forthis purpose the bulged cover 4 is soldered to a steel crown 5 providedwith a circular groove G (Fig. 4) receiving an appropriate joint, forexample india rubber.

An intermediate collar 7 is provided with a circular edge 8 penetratinginto the groove 6 and squeezing the joint in such manner that the latteris protected against all products liable to attack it.

The intermediate collar 7 bears tightly on the vessel a and effects ahermetic joint therewith by means of a soft ring (5 and a flange 8. A

The intermediate collar 7 is secured on to the vessel a by means ofstirrups 1() (Figs. l and 4) articulated with their lower parts to thevessel a and carrying fastening screws 11 actuated by hand wheels 9. Y

In a similar way, hand wheels 12 screwed upon spindles 18 articulated tothe collar 7 detachably secure the cover 4 to this collar (Fig.

In certain cases the supplementary collar 7 can be omitted.

The cover carries two glazed windows 14 which enable the interior of thedryer to be inspected, a luminous source being installed above one ofthese windows and the inspection being effected across the other Window.

The cover can be swung by means of a lever 15 -provided with acounter-weight 16 for equilibration.

In order to effect this swinging, the cover 4 carries, riveted to it, ahinge 17 2), with two arms and forming in the plan View a V, articulatedat 18.V To the axle 18 two raising cams or pawls 19 are fixed (Fig 4) aswell as the controlling lever 15 at one extremity of the axle.

This axle is oval where it enters the hinge 17 the'upper half of thecircumference being ci ularly reduced in diameter by' being turnedaround a center O situated some millimeters below the longitudinal axisO of the shaft 18, and the boring ofthe hinge 17 corresponding to theoriginal diameter of this shaft.

Consequently the resting cover is permitted a vertical play of a fewmillimeters; when pressed by cams 19 (Fig 4) the cover compresses owingto the action of the countervWeight 16, the joint 6, whereby a perfectsecurity is ensured.

When lifting the lever 15, in the directions of the arrow F into theposition 15', the cams 19 abut at first against the projection 20 of thehinge 17 connected to the cover and, from this instant the lever 15 andthe cover move together around the axis of the hinge 17.

In this first action, the cover is opened at the joint 6, the action ofthe eounterweight being neutralized owing to the eccentricity of thehinge 17 upon the shaft 18; in fact, the oval part of this shaft,forming a cam, arrives at 18 (Fig.'4) and raises the cover by thedistance O-O.

During the continuation of the rotary movement of the lever 15 from 15up to 15 (Fig. 3), the cam 19 abutting against the projection 20 of thehinge swings the cover 4 into the vertical position 4; at the same time,the nose 20 rises and abuts against the collar 7, so that the amplitudeot the swinging movement is limited.

23 are one or several rigid pipes or tubes provided with articulatedjoints 21 fitted into the swinging axle 18, said parts being pressedagainst each other by a spring 22 wound at the end of the axle 18.

Consequently, the tubes 23 are rigid members connected to appropriatereceivers, and it is possible to lead any fiuids through them, forexample, hot air, in order to utilize the apparatus as drying machine.

The current of hot air arriving from an appropriate generator (forexample burners or a steam radiator) may be sucked in, in thisparticular case, in the middle of the apparatus, by the centrifugalrotation produced as known, at great speed; for this purpose no blastingor sucking ventilator is needed. d

Independently of these rigid tubes 23, a flexible tube 24 may beprovided, with rapid joints 25, for the admission of the liquid, aleather washer or the like 26 being intercalated, this joint beingprotected by an inner shell 27 of thin sheet-metal soldered to theborders of the upper socket of the rapid joint, with a slight play inthe lower socket. This embodiment avoids any attack of leather or thelike as well as of the circular tightening joints of india rubber or thelike.

' It is indispensable to renderl possible the working of the substancewithout any contact with the exterior air, owing to the. fact thatcertain treated products are decomposed by contact with air. In orner toavoid such contact, the emptying gullets 28 may be connected toappropriate tubes.

- For the same purposev a tight joint can be provided between theshoulder of the vertical shaft e and the part with radial partitions,utilized for the transmission of speed to the basket L.

The inventionpermits of numerous applications, for drying, iltrating,decanting, centrifuging, washing, impregnation, recuperation, wringing,and so on, under pressure or in the vacuum, at any temperature and insecurity against all communication With the exterior. In case ofemergency, for example in order to ensure wringing without evaporation,modications may be made in the form, construction and proportion of thevarious parts Within the scope of the appended claims. VVhatIclaim, is:

1. In a centrifugal machine, a fixed barrel, a removablel supplementarycollar thereon having bearings, a cover having a hinge member, an axlemounted in the bearings onl the supplementary collar, and on which axlethe hinge member is journaled, said axle having a cam arrangedtocooperate with the 'l0 hinge member to press the cover tightly on thesupplementary collar, means to turn the axle, and means with which theaxle and hinge member are provided to limit the extent of rotation ofthe axle and hence also the extent of'angular movement of the cover.

.2. In a centrifugal machine, a barrel, a driving'shaft, a removablebasket within said barrel, on said shaft, a ilt'rating pocket withinsaid basket, means to drive the/shaft, a ring on said barrel, means tofasten said ring to the barrel, a cover on said ring, means to fastensaid cover to said ring, a hinge on said ring for the cover, acounterweighted lever attached to the axle of said hinge, two liftingpaWls keyed to said axle, to cooperate with said lever, and means toensure automatic removal of the cover from said ring, when turning saidlever. i

3. In a centrifugal machine, a fixed barrel, a driving shaft, aremovable basket Within said barrel, on and revoluble with said shaft, ailt'rating pocket within said basket, a ring fastened to said barrel, acover hinged tosaid ring, an oval axle of said hinge, to ensure lift-ingof the cover when turning said axle,- a tubeconnected to said cover, atube attached to the fixed part of the machine and a flexible jointbetween said tubes. 4. In a centrifugal machine, a fixed barrel, 40 adriving shaft, a removable basket on and revoluble with the latter, afiltrating pocket Within said basket, means to drive the shaft, a coverfor lsaid barrel, means to fasten it, means to lift it, rigid admissiontubes on said cover, tubes on the fixed part of the machine,articulations between them, a spring to apply the articulated tubularp'arts against each other, a rapid joint in the cover for attachment ofa flexible tube, for admission of a treatment agent, and means to emptythe contents without admission of outer air.

In'witness whereof I aflx m signature.

GEORGES RAUSS elo

